On 7 March, President Edgars Rinkēvičs and the Minister of the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis held a meeting at the Riga Castle to discuss the assessment of internal security and the preparedness of domestic security services to ensure public safety.
The President of Latvia thanked the Ministry of the Interior for its active involvement in the investigation of the attack on the Occupation Museum of Latvia. The Minister of the Interior provided a report on the services' preparedness to counter further provocations, as well as measures to prevent illegal border crossings. The President called on services to maintain their vigilance and readiness to respond to any provocations. E. Rinkēvičs highlighted the significance of adopting a firm position against hate crimes and crimes that jeopardize national security.
"Civil protection systems and provision must be a practical collaboration between the state, local authorities, and society as a whole. We must be prepared for further provocations and internal security challenges. Funding for internal security must be a priority in national budget planning. The staff of the internal security services must be given a vision for increasing their salaries in the coming years, in order to attract the missing staff and to continue the development of Latvia's ability to counter hybrid threats," said the President of Latvia.
E.Rinkēvičs appreciated the practical work that has been started on the establishment of shelters and the reorganization of national crisis management, but called for the rapid introduction of practical, understandable, and accessible civil protection solutions for all residents, to be tested and further improved during regular exercises.
